Best Collective Impact Forum Podcasts (2025)

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How Can Your Collaborative Strategy Be Both Structured and Emergent? 47:23

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10d ago47:23

47:23

What does it look like for a collaborative to balance planned strategies with new and rising needs? In this new podcast discussion, we talk with Melissa Darnell, Heather Equinoss, and Luzette Jaimes from the organization CoCreative, and learn how they work with collaboratives to blend structured and emergent strategies when doing collective work. L…

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Episode #264 — How Has Music Evolved Into Such a Viable Asset Class? 18:38

17h ago18:38

18:38

In the past, artists needed to sign with record labels who would take out bank loans in order to provide financing. Now thanks to companies like Sound Royalties, artists can receive financing via advances without giving up any ownership. Possible income generating streams for artists have also grown from few to many, transforming music into a viabl…

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Episode #263 — Assessing the State of AI in Music with Voice-Swap’s Mike Pelczynski @ Music Biz 2025 15:54

14d ago15:54

15:54

Mike Pelczynski has been a part of many important conversations on the subject of AI as the Chief Strategic and Innovation Officer of voice conversion platform, Voice-Swap. These discussions revealed that general sentiments towards AI have shifted from fear to that of constructive concern. In this episode, Mike examines how some issues posed by AI …

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Episode #262 — Inside Soundstripe’s Music Licensing Strategy with Global Head of Partnerships, Angela Abbott! 16:49

22d ago16:49

16:49

Soundstripe is a tech-enabled music licensing company working with brands, agencies and rightsholders, housing 1.5 million users in 160 countries. In this episode, Soundstripe’s Angela Abbott walks us through their licensing process, emphasizing how the platform ensures artists maintain sonic identity. She then imparts advice to early-level profess…

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Episode #261 — Independent Sector Happenings with A2IM’s Lisa Hresko @ Music Biz 2025! 12:52

1M ago12:52

12:52

At Music Biz 2025, Lisa Hresko of A2IM moderated a panel on growth strategies for independent music companies, a topic which she touches upon in this podcast recorded live at the Conference! She further expands the conversation to discuss how artists can “choose their own adventure” in the industry today by tapping into the independent community. L…

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Episode #260 — Dissecting the State of Physical Music: A Conversation with Carrie Colliton @ Music Biz 2025! 17:13

1M ago17:13

17:13

We spoke with Carrie Colliton of DORS & Record Store Day at Music Biz 2025 about the recent sales surge at indie record stores, how sales data from record stores was on the verge of exclusion from Luminate reporting, and the power of community that brought about the deal to keep that data counted. The conversation also touches on both the positive …

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Building Belonging through Conversations 1:20:37

2M ago1:20:37

1:20:37

In a time when so many are grappling with division and polarization in their communities, where does one start to build connections to better understand when and why do you feel like you “belong” in your community? In this new podcast conversation, we talk with Anjum Rahman and Atarau Hamilton-Fuller from Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, based…

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Episode #259 — Democratizing Artist Marketing: A Conversation with Chuka Chase of SymphonyOS @ Music Biz 2025! 11:13

2M ago11:13

11:13

We sat down with Chuka Chase, co-founder of SymphonyOS, during Music Biz 2025 to talk about his company, his experience at the Conference, and the convergence of the music and tech industries. He discusses his professional journey which led him from the tech space to music, as he compares and contrasts how both industries operate. He also covers ho…

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Episode #258 — The Impacts Of The Current PRO System On Small Venues 26:35

2M ago26:35

26:35

In this episode, we discuss the motivations behind NIVA’s letter to the US Copyright Office in conversation with Tobi Parks of the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF). Tobi disputes the narrative that licensees are just trying to cut costs, explaining how the current PRO system, combined with a lack of education provided to licensees and a…

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Episode #257 — A Conversation With Virginie Berger @ Music Biz 2025 12:58

2M ago12:58

12:58

We caught up with Virginie Berger, Founder of Don’t Believe the Hype and Advisor at MUSICx; fmr. MatchTune during Music Biz 2025 for a conversation covering the sentiments of fear and concern surrounding the uncharted territory that is AI. She addresses the complications and confusion today’s music market faces, current copyright wins & losses, the…

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Episode #256 — Jonathan Azu of Culture Collective Talks the State of the Live Industry & More! 12:52

3M ago12:52

12:52

This week we speak with Jonathan Azu, founder of Culture Collective, on the state of the live industry, along with some exciting projects & collaborations he’s working on! Jonathan discusses how important it is for executives to diversify themselves in the same way today’s artists do, highlighting the multi-hyphenate approach he has taken for his b…

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Episode #255 — The Tech and Music Industry Crossover: A Conversation with OpenPlay’s Edward Ginis @ Music Biz 2025! 12:10

3M ago12:10

12:10

Edward Ginis, Founder and CEO of OpenPlay, attended his 15th Music Biz Conference this year. In this episode, he discusses how the Conference continues to evolve with the times, providing true substance and debate over platitudes and hype. In the same vein, Edward touches on just how crucial it is for our industry to nurture entrepreneurs and start…

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Episode #254 — Hear from Lauryn Menard, Creator of the GOB Sustainable Earplug Brand! 15:17

3M ago15:17

15:17

The difficulty common earplugs have conforming to each person’s unique anatomy leads to frequent struggles with actually keeping these devices in our ears – not to mention the poor sound quality they create by blocking out only the top frequencies. Biomaterial professor and industrial designer, Lauryn Menard may very well be revolutionizing the fut…

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How to Influence without Authority 47:52

4M ago47:52

47:52

A backbone’s role in a collective is often to facilitate collaboration among partners and help the group make progress toward a shared goal. This can be a complex challenge, as the backbone doesn’t hold formal authority or decision-making power. Instead, it must rely on its central coordinating position to influence, build alignment, and advocate f…

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Episode #253 — The Music Merchandising Experience with Kerstyn Inouye of Top Drawer Merch 18:55

4M ago18:55

18:55

Top Drawer Merch began their journey through collaborating with artists to create charity bracelets. Today, they service clients both in and out of the music industry, producing apparel & a variety of other merchandise. Implementing a traditional brand approach, they understand that merch is not just a band’s logo on a t-shirt – it’s a story told t…

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Episode #252 — How Friends of Noise is Creating Opportunities for the Youth of Portland 11:02

5M ago11:02

11:02

Friends of Noise, an organization supporting the creative youth of Portland, Oregon since 2016, is expanding their educational programming with the opening of their all-ages venue, “The Off Beat.” The nonprofit hosts professional development workshops and produces all-age concerts where teens can perform on-stage, run sound, accept tickets & create…

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Episode #251 — Music Biz in Atlanta: The Horne Brothers Highlight ATL’s Booming Music Economy 19:57

5M ago19:57

19:57

Building on our series of interviews with Atlanta locals, we spoke with Byron, Ryon & Tyson Horne, better known as The Horne Brothers. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, the brothers highlighted Atlanta in their 2024 documentary, “The South Got Something To Say.” Though Hip-Hop’s birthplace is credited as New York, the documentary disc…

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Episode #250 — Angry Mob Music’s Marc Caruso Addresses What Indie Publishers Need 17:15

5M ago17:15

17:15

Independents make up 40% of the publishing industry, and yet, they struggle to leverage deals. Why? It all comes down to industry fracturing that is preventing the emergence of their collective voice. Angry Mob Music CEO, Marc Caruso touched upon this in his Billboard op-ed, “Why It’s Time for Indie Publishers to Get Angry,” where he highlights how…

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Episode #249 — Girlilla Marketing’s Jennie Smythe on the Evolution of Digital Marketing & Female Representation 20:28

5M ago20:28

20:28

Jennie Smythe, CEO of Girlilla Marketing, not only brings on unique & interesting clients, ranging from local businesses to well-known actors, but has proudly ensured her agency remains female-led throughout the 17 years she has been running it. With her tenure as a woman in both the music and digital marketing industries comes a great deal of less…

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How Collaboration Can Support Communities Through Economic Transitions 1:01:50

6M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

How can a community shift their economic future? In this episode, we explore how communities heavily reliant on a single industry can come together to diversify and build a more resilient economy. This kind of transformation is complex and requires collaboration across a broad range of partners to support the wellbeing of the whole community. We di…

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Episode #248 — Marketing In The Live Event Sector With Nederlander’s Jamie Loeb 20:29

6M ago20:29

20:29

The financial loss our industry faced when touring came to a halt during COVID-19 has brought attention to the importance of the long glossed over live sector. From here, NIVA (the National Independent Venue Association) was born, where Jamie Loeb, SVP of Marketing for Nederlander, worked tirelessly to help secure the biggest arts grant program in …

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Episode #247 — How The Music Leaders Network Empowers Female, Trans & Non-Binary Music Executives 17:56

6M ago17:56

17:56

The Music Leaders Network exists to establish a network of underrepresented female, trans & non-binary music executives and support their industry careers. In our latest podcast, we speak with Music Leaders Network co-founders Remi Harris & Tamara Gal-On about the organization’s origins, its latest UK cohort & expansion into Nordic countries, the c…

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Defending and Advancing Democracy and Equity in Collective Impact Work 1:22:15

7M ago1:22:15

1:22:15

Collaboratives based in the U.S. that are working to solve for and reduce disparities in their communities are facing compounding challenges with the current chaotic sociopolitical climate, including sudden funding cuts, mass job losses, mis- and disinformation campaigns, demoralizing messaging from national leaders and those they have deputized, a…

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Episode #246 — Music Biz In Atlanta: Discussing the City’s Thriving Music & Tech Culture with Shachar Oren 15:27

7M ago15:27

15:27

With the Music Biz Conference coming to Atlanta for the first time this year, we’re continuing our series of interviews with local executives to learn more about the city’s thriving music & entertainment business scene. This month, we spoke with Atlanta-based Shachar Oren of a media technologies venture capital firm, Sound Media Ventures, on his ex…

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Why Community Listening is Critical to Achieve Effective Philanthropy 40:46

7M ago40:46

40:46

Listening to community members and tapping into community expertise are key factors when trying to understand why social issues are happening, and what potential solutions may be best to address these challenges. This is especially true for philanthropy, a sector committed to traditionally funding social change through more “top down” strategies, r…

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Episode #245 — New Mental Health Study from MusiCares & Amber Health 25:49

7M ago25:49

25:49

The music industry’s high-stress and ever-changing nature often leads to the development or exacerbation of mental health issues for artists & professionals alike. Particularly since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, music & research organizations have looked to study the effects being in this industry has on its workforce and develop resour…

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Episode #244 — Maintaining Ethics in AI-Generated Music 27:24

7M ago27:24

27:24

Generative AI has taken all creative industries by storm over the last few years, and the technology’s rapid adoption has already led to major headaches for the music industry. AI-developed “songs” have flooded streaming services, being used by bad actors to siphon royalties from hard-working artists and creating problems for music discovery. Jen, …

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Episode #243 — Music Biz in Atlanta: Tobago Benito of DBS Sounds! 8:51

8M ago8:51

8:51

The Annual Music Biz Conference will take place in Atlanta for the FIRST TIME in 2025, gathering more than 2,100 global music professionals in a vital music hub city for four days of educational & networking opportunities to help inform the industry’s trajectory forward. This month, we’re kicking off a special series of interviews with Atlanta-base…

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Why is Backbone Leadership Different? 41:36

8M ago41:36

41:36

What are the skills and mindsets necessary to be a backbone leader for a collaborative? In this new podcast discussion, we talk with Paul Schmitz and Dominique Samari, authors of the recent report, “Backbone Leadership Is Different.” We explore how backbone leadership is unique and why It differs from traditional, more hierarchical leadership style…

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Episode #242 — The State of Music Publishing in 2025 17:24

8M ago17:24

17:24

The past decade has seen a vast uptick in the importance of the music publishing sector. Publishing rights now account for roughly 30-40% of rightsholder revenue, thanks in part to both the adoption of consistent digital revenue streams and major investments from the financial sector that have bolstered the value of music catalogs. In our first pod…

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Episode #241 — Music & Tech’s Trajectory In The Year To Come 20:29

9M ago20:29

20:29

2024 was yet another transformative year for the music industry, bolstered by the widespread embrace of AI integration, challenges to the cornerstone that DSPs have become, and maturing integrations in gaming & VR. In our final conversation of 2024, we speak with Vickie Nauman of CrossBorderWorks about how as music consumption becomes more passive,…

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Episode #240 — Managing Artists In 2024 & Beyond! 20:26

10M ago20:26

20:26

With the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, as well as new expectations from today’s artists, it’s time for us to check in on how the management field has evolved to meet the needs of today’s music makers. In our latest podcast, we talk to 10 and 8 Management’s Nicholas Mishko about what managers can do to best support their artists in …

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Partnering with Companies to Advance Collective Impact 45:20

10M ago45:20

45:20

Companies can be a critical partner in collective impact work. However, working with companies can pose unique challenges, from understanding how to initiate these partnerships to understanding how to best partner to sustain these relationships over time. To learn more about how collaboratives can engage and partner with the private sector to advan…

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Episode #239 — Ensuring Ethical AI Use With AI:OK’s Dr. Martin Clancy 15:00

10M ago15:00

15:00

The misuse of generative AI tech has already tested the status quo of music distribution & streaming, with DSPs being flooded with thousands of fraudulent tracks meant to siphon royalties away from rightful artists & rightsholders. AI:OK is a new initiative which takes a multi-pronged approach to ensuring that the music industry is ethical in its u…

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Episode #238 — Music Research & AI-Detection Tech With Deezer's Romain Hennequin 20:38

11M ago20:38

20:38

Research divisions within music companies often operate to advance the products & services they offer. In the case of Deezer’s most recent research on identifying & tagging songs, it may improve the ways our business fights against bad actors. This month, we talked to Deezer's Head of Research Romain Hennequin about his team’s origins, its most rec…

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How to Foster Effective Partnerships with Government 46:05

11M ago46:05

46:05

Achieving long-term change requires having government—whether local, state, or federal—at the collaborative table as a key partner. However, many collaboratives share that building these partnerships can be challenging, intimidating, or confusing. To better understand how to build and sustain effective relationships with public sector partners, we …

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Reflecting on a Career Committed to Collective Change 52:06

11M ago52:06

52:06

Later this fall, Tamarack Institute’s Co-CEO Liz Weaver will retire, closing a chapter that includes many decades supporting community change, collective impact, and poverty-reduction work across Canada and beyond. Liz is a long-time collaborator and dear friend of the Collective Impact Forum, and it has been a true honor to work alongside her as s…

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Episode #237 — #iVoted & Leveraging Music To Increase Voter Turnout 15:25

11M ago15:25

15:25

#iVoted is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that hosts concerts on election nights & during early voting periods to help drive voter registration & turnout. After hosting the largest digital concert in history during the 2020 Presidential Election, which data from MIT touts as bolstering voter turnout by an estimated 7%, #iVoted is gearing u…

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Connecting Advocacy and Data to Advance Collective Goals 59:07

12M ago59:07

59:07

Last year, Independent Sector published research on how advocacy by the nonprofit sector has evolved over the last 25 years, and specifically, how it has severely declined, with only 31% of nonprofits reporting advocacy activities over the last 5 years. Compare that to the year 2000, where more than double that—74% of the nonprofit sector--was part…

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Episode #236 — Supporting Women In Music: Interview With Head Bitch Music’s Jessica Vaughn 18:15

12M ago18:15

18:15

Following up on her op-ed for our Keeping Tempo series, we’re thrilled to have Jessica Vaughn of Head Bitch Music on our latest episode of The Future of What! In this interview, Vaughn discusses the ways our industry has evolved (both for better and worse) in its support of women & marginalized communities, how her industry origins as an artist inf…

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Designing to Inspire Community Joy and Connection 53:21

1y ago53:21

53:21

How can inclusive design spur community connections and build stronger partnerships in the process? During the COVID pandemic, the Van Alen Institute and the Urban Design Forum collaborated to launch Neighborhoods Now, a program shepherding resources, both funding and people, toward pandemic recovery and strengthening community partnerships across …

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How Practicing Futurism Can Strengthen Your Collaborative Strategy 57:53

1y ago57:53

57:53

When building a collaborative strategy or working through your implementation plans, it might feel like what you need most is a crystal ball (or a mystically accurate Magic 8 ball) to reveal which activities will work, which won’t, and where you can pivot so you and your partners can keep making progress. Moving ahead while surfing through ambiguit…

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Advancing Equity in Times of Polarization and Division 1:02:28

1y ago1:02:28

1:02:28

Without proactively removing the structures and systems that have contributed to inequity, place-based collaboratives can not make a meaningful impact on the lives of those most excluded and underestimated in communities. However, given the increasing anti-DEI political and cultural headwinds unfolding in the US and several other countries, communi…

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Episode #235 — How AI Tech & TikTok Consumption Is Changing Our Industry 14:50

1y ago14:50

14:50

Since the digitization of the music business began, new tech applications and methods of consumption have helped to redefine how our industry operates. In recent years, the highest profile changes have been the implementation of AI algorithms and the rapid adoption of music consumption through short-form video platforms. We spoke with Miquido’s Chi…

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The Necessary Skills to Navigate Change 47:02

1y ago47:02

47:02

Navigating and managing change is key to a collaborative’s journey, but it’s also one of the most challenging as each partner’s relationship, personal history, and ability to participate in change can vary. Differences in how partners navigate change, if not recognized and explored, can make it difficult for the collaborative to achieve meaningful …

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Episode #234 — Modern Music Royalties Processing 19:22

1y ago19:22

19:22

Ray Bush founded The Music Royalty Co. (MRC) in 2014 after identifying opportunities to modernize royalty calculations in the face of music data’s exponential explosion as streaming began to take off. A decade later and the company has remained an expert in complex royalty calculations for labels, publishers and distributors, while also evolving to…

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For Philanthropy to Succeed, All Strategies Must Address Disability 1:10:40

1y ago1:10:40

1:10:40

Addressing issues related to disability and access are often cordoned off within the social sector and philanthropy. Disability is often deemed as “separate” from issue-specific systems change work, such as education, climate, economic mobility, or health equity. Funders supporting causes like these may think that their focus does not require inclu…

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Episode #233 — Our Employees’ Needs Have Evolved: How Do We Best Support Them? 28:02

1y ago28:02

28:02

The events of the last few years, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, have had a major effect on how people across the globe view work-life balance and traditional ways of working. In our latest episode, we discuss how to best support today’s workforce with two experts in the avenues of HR and workers’ rights. First off, we speak with WorkFour Dire…

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Why Understanding Local Context Is Critical for Collective Impact 50:50

1y ago50:50

50:50

Understanding a community’s “context” and its readiness for complex change work is a critical factor for launching and advancing collective impact work. Knowing the local context is necessary to support work with and within a community--who is part of the community, what are they experiencing, and what are their challenges, needs, assets, and oppor…

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Episode #232 — Solving Music’s Identity Problem With Switchchord 22:29

1y ago22:29

22:29

The complex web of unique identifiers associated with an artist and their body of work can make it extremely difficult for them to interact with publishers, sync officers, and other parties they work with. Switchchord aims to eliminate this friction by allowing artists to document ownership of their music and map out the legal & business relationsh…